Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to removable clothing patches for application to clothing or other similar articles and associated methods of application and manufacture. More particularly, the present invention relates to a set or sets of clothing patches that can be applied to clothing, folders, upholstery, blankets, towels, windows, walls and other surfaces for decorative purposes.
Discussion of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,815 ('815 Patent), which issued to Hans, discloses a Garment for Displaying Information Panels. The '815 Patent describes a garment for the purpose of attaching and displaying information panels, such as a competitor's racing bib. One or more flexible flap members are permanently attached to the garment. Each distal end of the flexible flaps has a means of fastening, such as a snap fastener. Complementary means of fastening are permanently attached either to the garment, or to the proximal portion of the flexible flap. When the information panel is held in position, the complementary fasteners are coupled to secure the information panel. The garment may be worn without the information panels, as some information panels may be of a very temporary basis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,118 ('118 Patent), which issued to Eisenpresser, discloses a Decorative Fabric and Method for Making the Same. The '118 Patent describes a fabric material or construction having a decal and ornaments bonded and affixed, respectively thereto, whereby the ornaments overlap and have the same configuration as the decal so that the decal is no longer visible when the ornaments are affixed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,697 ('697 Patent), which issued to Poskanzer, discloses Children's Clothing with Removable Adhesively Attached Stickers. The '687 Patent describes an adaptable garment that permits a child complete flexibility in placing educational or entertainment articles thereon is disclosed. The adaptable garment includes one or more removable adhesively attachable stickers, which preferably include a pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive layer, and a garment having a sufficiently rough surface to permit reversible adhesion with the stickers. The stickers are adhesively attached to the rough surface of the garment and are capable of being removed and relocated to substantially any other location on the rough surface of the garment by a child wearing the garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,721 ('721 Patent), which issued to Moore et al., discloses Temporary Tatoo Decals. The '721 Patent describes a temporary decal comprising a porous paper base coated with a water-soluble slip layer (e.g., dextrin gum) on which offset printing inks are directly imprinted using a high speed lithographic press. The inks are printed in a designated area only, in a desired image. A clear spot coating, preferably of an aqueous material, is then printed over the image area only.
A contact adhesive is then spot printed over the image area of each decal, preferably using a silk screen press. A removable cover sheet, such as a silicone-coated sheet, is placed over the contact adhesive of each printed sheet of decals to keep the sheets from sticking together. The spot coating acts as a protective layer that keeps the contact adhesive from migrating to the surface of the decal after the finished temporary tattoo is applied to the skin. Without the spot coating, the surface of the decal would become sticky to the touch and the decal would come off faster because of friction with the surrounding environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,390 ('390 Patent), which issued to Henderson et al., describes a Garment for Communicating Through Removable Messages. The '390 Patent discloses an article for communicating at least one message which includes a garment, at least one detachable message, and a securing mechanism for detachably adhering the at least one detachable message to the garment.
The securing mechanism is selected from a perforated segment, a snap, Velcro, a button, a magnet, electrostatic forces, a rubber adhesive, and an acrylic adhesive. The garment is formed of a disposable material such as paper or a webbed material or a non-disposable material such as cotton, polyester, spandex, a combination thereof, or the like. Similarly, the at least one detachable message is alternately formed of with a disposable or non-disposable material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,982,115 ('115 Patent), which issued to Poulos et al., describes an Interactive-Design Garment Where the Wearer can Create and Alter the Graphic Decoration on the Garment and Method of Manufacture. The '115 Patent discloses an interactive-design garment which has heat-affixed thereto a flexible substrate formed of a laminate including a layer of plastisol ink which includes a primary graphic image therein of a particular theme and a plurality of flexible PVC sheet appliques which have secondary graphic images thereon and are positionable onto the substrate by a user to cooperate artistically with the graphic theme of said substrate on the garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,765,618 ('618 Patent), which issued to Egglesfield, describes Clothing with Detachable Symbols. The '618 Patent discloses an article of clothing comprises four layers. A first layer of fabric is in the form of a wearable garment. A second layer of synthetic tricot fabric is attached to the first layer. A third layer of foam has the same shape and size as the second layer, is aligned with the second layer, and is heat fused to a horizontal fiber size of the tricot fabric.
A fourth layer of loop material has the same shape and size as the third layer, is aligned with the third layer, has two sides both of which comprise nylon loops, and is heat fused to the fourth layer. A display item of a plurality of display items has a substantially smooth front portion and a back portion having a plurality of hooks. The display items are attachable and rearrangeable by joining the plurality of hooks to the loops of the fourth layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,927,680 ('680 Patent), which issued to Marshall, describes a Temporary Facial Decal. The '680 Patent discloses a temporary facial decal comprising a mask-like substrate having apertures for the eyes and mouth and having a nose opening taken from the group of slit and aperture with the body of the mask having a transferable image thereon covered by a removable protective sheet that is removed from the decal which is then placed on the user's face using the provided apertures for alignment whereupon an agent, preferably water, is used to transfer the image onto the user's face.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,021,731 ('731 Patent), which issued to Herbig et al., describes an Adhesive Sheet and Method. The '731 Patent discloses an adhesive sheet for use in affixing a badge to a garment comprises a plurality of cutouts, each cutout having a shape that approximately matches a shape of a badge.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,557,379 ('379 Patent), which issued to Lowe, describes a Multi-Layer Graphic Article. The '379 Patent discloses a multilayer graphic article includes (a) a fabric matrix or support having an upper and lower surface, (b) at least one image layer disposed on the upper surface of the fabric matrix or support, (c) a protective layer disposed over the at least one image layer, and, (d) an adhesive layer adhered to the lower surface of the fabric matrix or support.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,658,266 ('266 Patent), which issued to Lee, describes a Readable, Repositionable and Reusable Adhesive Fabric Paper for Printing and Manufacturing Method of the Same. The '266 Patent describes an adhesive fabric paper for printing is used to color printers for personal computers, printing machines for indoor and outdoor advertising, wide format printers, plotters to print colored images. The manufacturing method includes: heating and cooling a woven fabric; preparing a first “S” coating liquid, a second “S” coating liquid and an “R” coating liquid as coating liquids to be coated on the front face of the fabric and maturing them for three days; coating twice the rear face of the fabric; coating once the rear face of the fabric; carrying out first and second “S” coating works on the front face of the fabric with the first “S” coating liquid and the second “S” coating liquid; coating twice the front face of the fabric with the “R” coating liquid; and laminating a backer coated with an adhesive to the fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,661,702 ('702 Patent), which issued to Ihm, describes a Kit and Method for Assembling a Decorative Object Pattern upon a Separate Article. The '702 Patent discloses a kit and method for assembling a decorative object pattern upon a fabric article including a flat, smooth surface board, a desired number of individual stencil units, slidably situated upon the board, and held movably in place by magnetic force. The stencil units are arranged upon the board surface to create a desired stencil design. Rhinestones or other decorative objects are situated within the stencil pattern with their adhesive side down. An adhesive backed cover sheet is provided to hold the decorative object pattern in place. The cover sheet is adapted to being placed on the fabric surface, and the held objects adhered thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,679,612 ('612 Patent), which issued to Poulos, describes a Craft Fabric. The '612 Patent discloses a fabric material for use in craft activities, the fabric material comprising a textile substrate and a pressure sensitive adhesive carried by opposite surfaces of the substrate, whereby upon the application of pressure to one piece of the fabric material against another piece of the fabric material causes the adhesion of the pieces of fabric.
United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2008/0152796 which is authored by Collier, teaches a method of producing a reflective design which includes the steps of lasering a pattern on an adhesive side of a reflective laminated material. The lasering ablates the adhesive and causes these areas to not adhere. The reflective laminate material is applied to a substrate. A carrier layer of the reflective laminate is removed to produce a reflective design on the substrate. This method allows for highly customized designs at a reasonable cost that are very visually appealing. The substrate may be a textile, paper, or decal material. The textile may be the garment or may be a patch that is sewn onto a garment or applied to the garment with an adhesive.
United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2011/0020586, which is authored by Poulos, teaches a fabric material for use in craft activities, the fabric material comprising a textile substrate and a pressure sensitive adhesive carried by opposite surfaces of the substrate, whereby upon the application of pressure to one piece of the fabric material against another piece of the fabric material causes the adhesion of the pieces of fabric.